By Anicka Edwards
A lot of kids write and make home videos as hobby, but not all of them get the help they need to perfect their craft. This February, mentors at the Buffalo Youth Media Institute (BYMI) at Squeaky Wheel will help to prepare 13 to 18-year-old students who have the passion and drive to pursue a career in the medium.
Accepting only 10 participants for this program, BYMI is looking for students living in Buffalo, who are interested in storytelling, journalism, media production and/or local social and cultural issues. Applications are due on January 25th.
"We look for students who are interested in documentaries and enthusiastic about learning something new," says BYMI Director Ruth Goldman. "We want students who are creative and are interested in doing artistic things."
Those accepted will gain experience in writing, editing and shooting their own documentary, using professional equipment and techniques. They will also learn to evaluate and critique media, as well as learn more about the greater Buffalo community and its history through field trips, presentations and workshops.
Selected participants will embark on a four months journey, from February to June, in order to discover their own creativity and learn to work with others. The program will meet Tuesdays from 5 to 7PM, and Saturdays from 10AM to 1PM. Squeaky Wheel provides the equipment and training.
BYMI is a free community history and youth program in collaboration with Preservation Buffalo Niagara, funded by the Baird foundation and the Margaret L. Wendt foundation, with generous individual donors. BYMI provides exceptional opportunities, and has proved to be a life changing experience for participants in the past.
What a great program, I was able to attend their screening two years ago and was really impressed with what the students were able to do.